BROOKLIN — The mantra for the 21st century is to do more with less, and many building pioneers are exploring how to repurpose material to construct homes. A new example can be seen at a marina in Belfast, where Brooklin boatbuilder Steve White has parked his new houseboat, constructed from shipping containers.
But if you go down to the marina for a look, don’t expect to see two big steel boxes welded together. While White’s houseboat does have an unusual design when compared to other architecture in Belfast, it’s also welcoming, with a warm red exterior paint and spacious windows. The interior is just as inviting, with radiant heat, bamboo flooring, and a sleek kitchen.
“It’s much more house than boat,” White said.
White decided to build a houseboat after selling a second home. He was looking for a way to be on the waterfront, but land was too expensive. Early last year, he read an article about container homes. The idea of reusing shipping containers for a houseboat appealed to him because it was a frugal and green option.
Because of the trade imbalance between China and the U.S., ports on the eastern seaboard always have a surplus of steel shipping containers. Insurance companies often will refuse to cover containers over 10 years old, so many age-out before they can be reused. This seems wasteful to White.
“A lot of them are really just used once and then they just sit there,” White said.
White assembled a team to help him with the project. He enlisted SnapSpace Solutions (a Brewer company that focuses on reusing containers for living and office space), Ellsworth container homeowners Jennifer Sansosti and Trevor Seip, and local boatbuilder Andrew Baldwin.
Shipping containers offer a number of advantages, Sansosti said. Aside from being considered a “green” use of material, they are relatively affordable. And once loaded off the crane, it doesn’t take much to make them minimally livable.
They also are incredibly durable, and are designed to last in marine environments.
“You could have them right on the ground for 50 years and they really wouldn’t rust,” she said.
But working with the containers posed some unique building challenges, and the builders learned a lot with the project. Weight was a big issue, and the float design had to have enough support to remain buoyant. The thick steel hull presented another challenge; it was hard to cut and was prone to bend and sway, said Baldwin. The builders added a steel frame to firm it up.
“The whole thing flexes, so we had to have it rigid to move as one unit,” Baldwin said.
In the end, White is happy with the finished product and plans to keep the new home parked in the Belfast marina, where he and his wife will live in it part-time and rent it out during the summer.
It won’t be much of a boat in the future, however, he said. It made one 17-mile trip, 8-hour trip when it was towed to Belfast from Brooklin, where it was built. Its seafaring days are over.
“That’s the only trip I plan for it to take,” White said.